Move Beyond

Awareness to Action

Dr. Eva M. Gibson Dr. Mariama C. Sandifer Dr. Sarah N. Brant-Rajahn

Austin Peay State University Columbus State University Messiah University
 Objectives
After attending this session you should be able to:
1. Implement action-oriented, culturally
responsive advocacy for Black students
2. Explore ASCA’s race and equity resources and
discuss considerations for practice
3. Utilize data to highlight and address disparities
for this population

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 “Woke”, has been defined as being
“aware of and actively attentive to
important facts and issues related to
racial and social justice” (Merriam-
Webster, n.d).

Challenges school-based leaders and other

educators to adopt a Woke perspective (which
integrates action and awareness) on behalf of
MS Black students
 Why is this important?
Research indicates that significant opportunity gaps exist for Black students at
disproportionate rates in areas such as:

While Black students face unique societal challenges that may contribute to these
gaps, it is imperative that school-based leaders actively work to remove barriers to
student success (Goodman et al., 2018). SB
 Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a
theoretical framework that
researchers use to explore
racism, privilege, oppression,
and power that marginalized
populations face through
socio-political and institutional
processes (Delgado &
Stefancic, 2017).

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Although schools are often viewed as institutions that support the growth
and development of all students, Allen et al. (2013) maintains that schools
are reflections of the larger society.
● As such, schools can be oppressive environments for Black students as
they are conduits of racial microaggressions and pass along socio-
cultural messages which may serve to compound beliefs of inferiority.
● Public education remains one of the nation's most ripe environments for
inequality as racial and cultural norms are often disregarded (Morris, 2018).

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 These incidences are just a few examples of how
racism has evolved over time so that modern
policies and practices generate similar outcomes as
those in the past, while not appearing to be
blatantly racist (Atkins & Oglesby, 2018).

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 What can you do?????

Cultivate a supportive school culture

What does this look like?????

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School counselors should first acknowledge the experiences of Black students
as a start to actively support them.

● Avoid diluted terminology such as “person of color” or BIPOC (although

appropriate when that is the intention)
● Avoid a color-evasive approach: Although some see a color-evasive
approach as an ideology that supports equity, counter discourse suggests a
color-evasive approach can:
○ invalidate the Black identity,
○ overlook experiences with racism,
○ hinder the identification of racial disparities among students, and
○ promote the idea of meritocracy
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 In line with CRT, school counselors
must be committed to social justice
action.

A first and ongoing step toward action

calls for social justice oriented
counselors to engage in assessment of
their own biases, behaviors, and
cultural competence.

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❖ Culturally sustaining assessment (pgs. 35-
36)
❖ Multicultural Ethical Decision Model (pg.
50)
❖ Standards & Competencies Assessment
(pgs. 52-53)
❖ Lesson plan considerations (pgs. 67-68)
❖ Assessment policies & practices (pg. 114)

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● School counselors should provide professional
development opportunities that focus on cultural
competency.
○ Culturally competent counselors can either
facilitate these workshops themselves or can
arrange for the use of external, qualified
presenters.
○ These workshops may include disaggregated
data on discipline, assessment, evaluation, and
achievement.
○ After analysis of the data, participants can begin
to engage in discussion on noticeable disparities

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● It is important that this dialogue includes an exploration of race-related
stressors.
● Educators who are unaware of these issues struggle to understand
significant influences surrounding development and behavior (Gibson,
2020).
● As such, it is important for school counselors to understand and to be
able to communicate that the unique experiences of Black students
influence the way their stressors manifest in the school setting.

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• One particular strategy related to this is the
implementation of equity teams.
• The Systematic Racial Transformation model promotes
the use of these teams to engage school faculty and
staff in ongoing professional learning opportunities
(Singleton, 2015).
• These teams are committed to:
○ examining the impact of race on their personal
and profession viewpoints/behaviors
○ leading a school-wide examination of culture and
equity within the building
○ creating a professional learning community
designed to enhance faculty skills as they work to
reduce racial disparities
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● The goal of the professional learning environment is to provide a
forum for thoughtful, data-based inquiry into the areas of disparity
as well as opportunities for collaborative interventions.
● As an alternative (or extension) to this approach, the use of multiple units
focused on maintaining an inclusive school culture could be considered.
○ For example, one team could focus on data disaggregation and policy
development and the other could focus on development of ongoing
learning opportunities.
● Some activities can include a deep dive into resources offered by
organizations such as the Equity Literacy Institute, Learning for Justice, and
National Education Association Human and Civil Rights Department.

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• Be aware of culturally
appropriate resources
• Bring these issues to the
fore-front

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 What about data?
Social justice oriented counselors should assess the needs of their students
through…

Work to develop goals for the counseling program that focus on

creating spaces of equity and justice for marginalized students
(Ratts, 2011) and develop preventative programming and
interventions that meet student needs.

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 What about a broader level?
○ Research indicates that schools can enhance outcomes through
implementation of culturally responsive programming and multi-tiered
systems of support.
○ Restorative practices, in particular, are grounded on the positive
relationships that students and adults have with one another.
○ There are many school-wide programs that provide the framework to
build this type of environment (e.g. Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Support) however, culture and context must be considered within
program design (Betters-Bubon et al., 2016).

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● Engage in courageous conversations.
○ It is understood that these conversations may be uncomfortable,
but they are critical to initiate change to promote equity.
○ This dialogue needs to happen with colleagues inside the school and
throughout the district

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 Resources

What are some tools that you use?

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 Take aways
● assess school policies to determine whether they reflect a
commitment to an inclusive environment
● engage in strategic planning that addresses racial equity
● ensure that school and department vision and mission statements
reflect a combined commitment to social justice, advocacy, and
equity
● disaggregate data examining racial disparities, then examine the
policies and biases that lead to such disparities
● implement school practices designed to remove systemic barriers
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● create in-house faculty development opportunities centered on cultural
competence
● encourage and support faculty external learning opportunities that focus
on equity
● nurture a reflective school culture centered around courageous
conversations (e.g. unconscious bias can influence perceptions of what it
means to "manage" classroom behaviors among Black students)
● research and promote the use of culturally responsive curriculum and
school activities

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 Reach out
Dr. Eva Gibson
Austin Peay State Univ.
Gibsone@apsu.edu Dr. Sarah Brant-Rajahn
Messiah University
sbrantrajahn@messiah.edu
Dr. Mariama Sandifer
Columbus State University
sandifer_mariama@columbusstate.edu

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